Cold Cold Heart
by Ikcatcher
Summary: White Valley, a snowy mountain that seperates Aninstar City and Snowbelle City. Seperated from Clemont and Bonnie in a snowstorm. Ash and Serena must race against the time to find out what dark secrets does this mountain hold. And survive until dawn. An Amourshipping story. (ON HIATUS, currently doing Here Comes The Hydroflames)
1. Prologue

White Valley Ranger Centre

10:53 AM

Ranger Adam Tanner sat down at his desk, a cup of coffee in one hand and a clipboard on the other. Just over an hour ago, he had been ordered by the Sargent to investigate a case involving two people who had gotten lost on the snowy mountains. This wasn't an uncommon thing to happen, there had been many similar cases throughout the year. One or two people go missing for the night, and ended up reappearing when dawn arrives. It's always the same, the people, almost in a shocked state, chanting the same thing over and over again. "The Leviathan has returned".

Adam didn't really know why he was assigned to this. Questioning previous hikers who had suffered the same fate had shown signs of PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Thus not being able to question what had happened. News started circulating around claiming that something was going on at White Valley. Some say it's haunted, others think a secret organisation is running sadistic tests on these unsuspecting travellers.

This was all a bunch of lies, people jumping straight into conclusions without taking the facts into consideration. Adam's best guess is that the extreme cold weather caused the travellers to suffer from hallucinations, causing them to think that this "Leviathan" exists.

Just then a knock on his office door caused him to snap back to reality. It was his colleague, Ranger Holly Miles.

"Don't scare me like that! You almost made me drop my coffee." Adam said.

"Sorry about that." She replied. "Just wanted to tell you that the two hikers for your case just arrived. There's bad news though."

"That is?"

"One of them was critically injured when they brought them in. She's currently being treated in the Infirmary."

"I see, did you run a background check on these two?" Adam asked.

"Already did, I've already sent the profile to your computer. The other person is in Interview Room 2."

"Thanks Holly." He said, as he turned to his computer.

"One more thing before I go." Holly said.

"Hmm?"

"Go easy on the kid when you interview him, he looked like he had been through Hell." She said, as she left Adam contemplating on what she'd just said.

Kid? How old was this person?

Adam quickly checked his computer for the profiles and opened. To see the face of the two travellers involved in this case.

NAME: ASH KETCHUM

AGE: 15

DOB: UNKNOWN

REGION: KANTO

HOMETOWN: PALLET TOWN

CURRENT STATUS: IN INTERVIEW ROOM 2

He clicked again to see the next profile.

NAME: SERENA YVONNE

AGE: 15

DOB: UNKNOWN

REGION: KALOS

HOMETOWN: VANIVILLE TOWN

CURRENT STATUS: IN INFIRMARY

Pokemon Trainers, Adam thought. One from Kanto and one a local. He had more questions than answers running through his head right now. So no point waiting, he got off from his desk, grabbed his Ranger hat and notebook to write down important information. And started walking to the interview rooms.

Adam didn't know why, he had the odd feeling of being watched. Was it because he has been working for almost 24 hours without proper rest? He never liked skipping sleep time but recent events had kept everyone in the department on edge. Making sure no one goes missing on White Valley.

Until now.

When he'd arrived at the interview room, he only saw one guard standing next to door. He gave a slight nod to the guard as he opened the door and walked into the room. The room contained a table and two chairs placed on opposite ends of the table. One one end was a boy, a young teen from the way he looked and his built. He was wearing a red hat and a blur coat that had seen better days, all torn up and ripped apart. His head faced down, facing the steel table.

He quietly closed the door and sat on the chair. Beginning the interview.

"Hello." He started out. "I'm Ranger Adam Tanner of the White Valley Ranger Department. I would like to ask you a few questions."

The boy didn't reply.

"Could you tell me your name, age and occupation?" He asked.

"...Ash...Ketchum, 15..., Pokemon Trainer." He finally replied.

The voice in Ash's voice made Adam worried, he wasn't stuttering because he was nervous. He was scared.

"Ash, last night at 2:57 AM, you and your friend, Serena Yvonne were reported missing."

Ash heart sank when she heard Serena's name. He slammed the table on lean himself forward to Adam.

"Serena?! Where is she...?! Is she alright?!"

"Woah woah, calm down, your friend is going to be alright. She's currently being treated in the infirmary." He reassured Ash.

"Oh Serena..." He said, covering his face in guilt. "This is all MY fault! We should have stayed in for the night... I shouldn't have been so impatient! And not taking my other friends into consideration!" He said, slamming his hand on the table again. Tears slowly rolling from his eyes.

"Everything is alright Ash. Could you... Tell me what transpired?" Adam asked.

Ash found enough courage to stopped crying and tell the Ranger about everything.

"It all started... yesterday. At the Pokemon Centre just outside White Valley."

"Go on."

"A snowstorm was expected to hit that night, I made the stupid decision of continuing on our journey with my companions. We thought we could reach the next town before nightfall."

Adam remembered that, a type-5 snowstorm was expected to hit yesterday. It has caused several electrical failures in the centre.

"What happened after that...?" He asked.

Ash sat there silent for a few seconds before finally giving Adam a reply.

"Everything went to Hell."


	2. Chapter 1

White Valley Pokemon Centre

8:30 AM

14 hours until dawn

"Everybody all set?" Ash asked as he finished zipping up his winter coat.

"All set here." Clemont said, checking his bag to make sure he hasn't left anything.

"Ready!" Bonnie said, happily dressed in her Delibird outfit. Along with Dedenne and her new green blob friend, Squishy resting in her bag.

"Pikachu?"

"Pika Pi!" The electric rodent cried. As it hopped on to its usual spot on Ash's shoulder.

"Serena?" Ash asked.

Bonnie looked around for Serena but was nowhere to be found.

"Guess she isn't ready yet I guess." Bonnie came to the conclusion.

Ash let out a disappointing sigh when he heard that. He wanted to get back on the road to Snowbelle City for his 8th gym badge. He wasn't really a person that likes to wait. Ash sat down on one of the lounge seats and looked outside the window. The roads were covered in snow, nothing but white as far as the eyes could see. As winter is fast approaching, the temperature starts to decrease. White Valley was just close enough for Ash to see in the distance. He had heard many things about this snowy mountain, mostly from Serena's information guide. It said that White Valley was given its name almost a hundred years ago when Kalos's first Champion, Andrei White, went missing while on an expedition to this very snow mountain, back then only being called "montagne enneigée". Snowy Mountain in Kalosian. In honour of his legacy, the people of Kalos named this mountain after him. Ash found it interesting and all, but to be honest, all he could think was what Pokemon did he used to battle with back then. Sure, it was silly for him to imagine what someone from long ago would use in a Pokemon battle. But it would have been really cool if he knew how the very first Champion of Kalos battled all those years ago.

Ash turned away from the window, now turning his attention to the television screen on the wall opposite of him. It showed an orange haired woman with odd looking glasses.

"Now for the news. Yesterday at 10:25 PM Kalos Central Time, an explosion occurred at a warehouse in Lumiose City. Police are still investigating the source of the explosion. Witnesses of the explosion stated that two people, dressed in orange suits were seeing leaving the warehouse minutes before the explosion. Those who have information regarding the perpetrators of the crime are to contact the police immediately."

"An explosion...?" Ash mumbled. "Hope no one was hurt."

"Hmm? You said something Ash?" Clemont asked.

"Oh, I was just watching the news. That's all." Ash said.

"The news?" Clemont said, deciding to join with Ash to pass the time."

Bonnie was cheerfully playing around with Dedenne and Squishy. Trying to teach Squishy a few tricks. Squishy being unamused at what the blonde little girl was doing.

"Now for the weather." The orange haired woman announced. As a map of Kalos appeared behind her. "Weather suggest it'll be sunny all day round within Central Kalos. Light rain is expected from Shalour City all the way to Coumarine City. There is a class-5 snowstorm expected to hit Southern Kalos by dusk. All travellers are advised to stay indoors until weather conditions improve. That's it for the today's news. This has been Malva, and you're watching KNN, your trusted source on up to date news."

As the screen changed to another program, Clemont decided to break the silence between the two.

"A... class-5 snowstorm?!" Clemont said.

"I assume that isn't good." Ash said.

"A class-5 snowstorm is not something you want to get stuck in! I suggest we stay in for the day. Wait until conditions improve."

"How long would it take for us to get to the next town?" Ash asked.

Clemont opened his map and laid it on a nearby table.

"Let's see... About four hours minimum." Clemont replied.

"I say we go on to the next town, the storm won't hit until dusk." Ash said.

"But...-"

"Sorry I took so long guys!" A voice said.

Everyone turned to the direction of the voice to discover that it was Serena. Running towards them in a hurry, with her pink beanie in hand.

"You sure took your time." Ash said, annoyed at the honey blonde girl's punctuality.

"I'm sorry! I had a minor problem while I was going my hair." Serena said with a cheeky smile.

Usually, Ash would be annoyed that he had been kept waiting by something so minor. But for some reason, he wasn't really that annoyed at Serena. Was it because of that smile? It made him felt a fuzzy feeling when he saw his friend from childhood smiling so sheepishly.

"So, are we all good to go?" Serena asked.

"There's a snowstorm that's expected to hit by sundown." Clemont said.

"But we can get to the next town before it hits." Ash mentioned.

Serena honestly had a bad feeling about this, she would have just suggested to stay in for another day and wait for the snowstorm to pass. But she had the upmost faith in Ash, knowing that he would make the right call.

"You're the boss Ash." She said.

"Alright! Let's get going guys!"

"Yeah!" Bonnie cried excitingly as she dashed for the exit. As the sliding doors opened, a rush of cold air hit Bonnie like an ice-type Pokemon using Blizzard on her. Causing her to shiver uncontrollably and ran straight back into the Pokemon Centre. The gang laughed at the little girl's naiveness.

"Oh Bonnie." Ash said.

* * *

Unknown location

8:45 AM

He sat there quietly, overlooking the white, barren land below. His Glaceon by his side, sleeping soundly at his feet.

It felt like it has been decades since he started living here. But in truth it had only been 3 years. Isolated from the rest of civilisation. He had a threw away everything, his past life, his identity, his family. All of it gone, only his partner Pokemon by his side. But it was for a greater cause. He had a duty to perform, one that would take months, even years to accomplish.

"The Cycle has return." He said.


End file.
